A SHOCKING new report revealed yesterday that one in every three kids in a Paisley housing scheme are living below the poverty line.

The shameful figures show that 33 per cent of youngsters in the Paisley North West council ward live with families who can’t make ends meet.

The ward covers areas such as Ferguslie Park, which was branded the most deprived place in Scotland by government bosses six years ago.

Recession-hit families in other parts of Renfrewshire are also struggling to cope with government cutbacks and job losses.

The report, released by the Campaign To End Child Poverty, shows that 27 per cent of youngsters in the Renfrew South and Gallowhill ward are officially classed as poor.

In addition, 24 per cent of kids in Barrhead are caught in the poverty trap, while the figure for Johnstone South, Elderslie and Howwood is 23 per cent.

Last night, one councillor, who represents Paisley North West, claimed the figures are a “national disgrace”.

Labour man Tommy Williams said: “It’s an absolute scandal. I’m appalled that this problem has increased under a Tory government.

“In fact, I’d say it was a national disgrace that, in the 21st century, we are still talking about kids living in poverty.”

According to the Campaign To End Child Poverty, nearly half of Scotland’s 32 local authorities now include wards where over 30 per cent of children live with skint mums and dads.

Paisley North West is the only area in Renfrewshire to breach the 30 per cent barrier but it remains considerably better off than Glasgow’s Springburn ward, where an astonishing 52 per cent of children live beneath the poverty line.

Campaign chiefs are now calling for a dramatic “ramping up of political focus” for child poverty throughout 2012.

The group wants to see a major rethink of recent welfare cuts and a greater investment in universal credit.

John Dickie, of the Campaign To End Child Poverty, said: “It is shameful that, in almost every part of our country, there are children who are missing out and seeing their future life chances seriously harmed.

“With public spending budgets under severe pressure, the need to invest to prevent the numbers of children living in poverty spiralling is greater than ever.

“At the beginning of a year that will see Holyrood Ministers report on the progress of their first national child poverty strategy and with local elections set to take place across the country, there can be no better time for political leaders to demonstrate commitment to ending child poverty in Scotland.

“An increasing number of children, particularly in Scotland, are living in families without paid work and we are deeply concerned about the effect that rising unemployment is having on child poverty.

“As a matter of extreme urgency, governments must work together to ensure parents can access jobs that they can raise a family on.”

Councillor Williams believes more should be done to help areas such as Ferguslie Park.

He said: “They should be targeting more resources into employment opportunities and resources for kids.

“At the end of the day, finding work for people in these circumstances is the most important thing.

“If you want to break this cycle of deprivation, you need to give people the opportunity to work and make a better life for themselves.”

However, Councillor Mike Dillon, who is the Lib Dem member for Paisley North West, insists the reality is not as bleak as the new report suggests.

He said: “Figures can be a snapshot and do not take into account the latest work carried out in Renfrewshire by various organisations.

“I am encouraged by Renfrewshire’s Employability partnership and the Healthier, Wealthier Children’s Project but I recognise there is a lot to be done in this area.”

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson added: “The council and our partner organisations have a wide range of approaches in place to give practical help in tackling poverty in general and child poverty in particular.

“That task isn’t made any easier by a recession but there are measures in place to address the different aspects of poverty affecting families, including health, housing, benefits and employability issues.

“A big part of that work involves getting in early and aiming to stop problems developing or worsening.

“A number of debt and financial advice services have been stepped up.

“Specific measures to tackle fuel poverty have also been put in place.

“Other programmes support people into training or employment, which gives longer-term opportunities for families to lift themselves out of poverty.

“Health measures include the NHS-led Healthier Wealthier Children project, which has been backed by the Scottish Government.

“This aims to link financial advice with health and early years’ services.

“Since October 2010, the programme has generated over £500,000 for Renfrewshire families.

“Overall, there’s an increasing recognition that an integrated approach is the best way of tackling child poverty and Renfrewshire is committed to taking that work forward.”